Compression guide



1,552,519 C. B. ULRICH COMPRESSION GUIDE Sept. s, 1925.

Filed Dec. 1, 1920 flvmwrae CHA mes B. ULRICH Arm/awry Patented Sept. 8,1925.

CHARLES E. union, or JAMEsTownnEwYoeK.

oolvrrruzssron GUIDE.

Application filed December 1, 1920.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLns B. ULRICH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Compression Guides,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved form of compression guide for use infiling cab inets of different types by which the guides used in thefiling drawer or. tray automatically extend to occupy all of the draweror tray not occupied by the contents filed, thus maintaining the filedsubject matter in vertical position without the use of follower blocks.

My present invention is an improvement on that shown on Patent No.1,121,151 issued to me on an improvement in files on December 15, 1914,the improvement consisting in hinging the two walls of each guidetogether below the upper edge of the guide, thus leaving the upperportion of the guide in a single plane, thereby greatly facilitatinginserting the matter to be filed in the proper place and also greatlyfacilitating indexing the guides in any desired manner.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings showing a preferred embodiment thereof in which i Fig. 1 showsmy improved compression guide in perspective view,

Fig. 2 shows in end view a modified form of the guide shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 shows in perspective view the upper portion of a guide similar tothat shown in Fig. 1 provided with a modified form of indexing device,and

Fig. 4 shows in end View to a reduced scale a series of guides ofthekind shown in Figs. 1 and 3 provided with devices for retaining theguides in place whereno retaining rod is employed.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Fig. 1, my improved compression guide consists of a firstsheet 10 of suitable material such as press board, metal or the liketowhich a second sheet 11 of similar material is secured by flexiblestrips 12 connecting the upper edge of the sheet 11 to the back surfaceof the sheet 10 below the upper edge of the sheet 10 so that the upperSerial No. 427,508.

upright in the drawer or filing tray, in a single plane without anyparts projecting from said plane of the upper portion. The strips 12 arepreferably of flexible material such as cloth or other'hinge material sothat the sheet 11 may move freely towards or away from the sheet 10 asrequired by the use of the guide in the filing case. Expan- 'sionsprings 13 are located between their ploy springs of a constructionpermitting them to be collapsed into a minimum thickness to facilitategiving the filing case a maximum filing capacity. To accomplish this'thesprings may be made of spring wire and of helico-spiral conformation.3The springs are preferably distributed over the inner surfacesof thesheets '10 and 11 so as toex'ert their extending effect on substantiallythe entire sheet 11 and the corresponding portion of the sheet 10. Thesprings are so made that when they are extended, the guides, in theirextended condition, will occupy the entire length ofv the filing casingwhen the latter has no matter filed therein. The lower edges of thesheets 10 and 11. may be provided with tabs 15 and 16 respectivelycontaining holes 17 and 18 to engage a retaining rod where such a deviceis used to hold the guidesin the filing casing.

As a result of the construction described, index tabs may be formed onthe upper edge of the sheet 10 or carried thereby as indicated at 19,these tabs being of any convenient size and located to meet the needs ofany particular filing condition. The tabs are thus given prominence byprojecting above the sheet 10 and since the sheets are maintained at alltimes in separate relation either by theexpansion of the guides or bythe material filed between them, or both, the indexing devices arealways in plain View and any particular guide can readil be selected,when desired subject matter 0 any classification is to be taken frombetween the guides or when additional subject matter of saidclassification is to be filed between the portion 10 of the sheet 10 isfree and stands Ill? guides. Furthermore as the upper portions of thesheets 10 are in parallel relat on in the filing casing at all times andseparate from each other as described, matter to be filed may readily beinserted at the proper place between the guides, the fiat, upperportions of the .guides offering no hindrance to inserting the matter tobe filed between them.

The construction shown in Fig. 2 is sim1- lar to that described, theonly difference being that the sheets 10 and 11 are formed from the samesheet of material, folded at 20 and secured together in any desiredmanner at a distance below the folded edge as for example by rivets 21,by suitable adhesive or otherwise thus leaving the upper portion of theguide in a single plane for the purposes and with the advantages abovedescribed. In any event the sheets 11 and 11 are preferably of flexiblematerial to permit the guide to adapt itself readily-to the conformationof the matter filed adjacent to it and with the construction shown inFig. 2, the flexibility of the sheet 11 perlar in effect to that shownin Fig. 1. In this construction the upper edge of the sheet 10 is shownas protected by a strip of suitable material such as fabric 22, foldedover its upper edge and securedthereto by'suitable means suchasfadhesive', and the sheet 11 is extended above thehinge connection andse cured to the sheet 10 in any convenient manner, for example byadhesive. The indexing tab-in this modification is in the form of ametal card-carrier 23 secured in desired position to the upper edge ofthe sheet 10 by suitable fastening devices, for example rivets 24, thecard-carriers being secured to various guides in different positions andprojecting from the upper edges thereof to secure the same. advantagesdescribed for the indexing tabs l9'referred to above.

In Fig. 4 a plurality of guides is shown, each being of similarconstruction to that described in connection with Fig. lrwith the tabs15 and 16 omitted, each hinge connection comprisinga single hinge strip12. In this construction the lower edge of, the sheet 11 of a firstguide is connected with the lower edge of the sheet 10 of a second guideby a strip of flexiblevmaterial 25 by suitable fastening devices or byadhesive to 'forma pockettoengage the lower edges of the sheets filedbetween two adjacent guides where no retaining rod is used in the filingcasingand with this construction the matter filed,'by' engaging thestrips or pockets 25, serves to retain the guides in position in thefiling casing.

While I have shown my invention in the particular embodiment abovedescribed, it

I wider part.

5. A compression guide comprising two willbe understood that I do notlimit myself to this exact construct=ion as I may employ equivalentsknown to the art at the time of the filing of this application withoutdeparting from the scope of the appended claims.

lVha-t I claim is:

1. A compression guide comprising two.

parts of thin sheet material of different widths, the narrower partprojecting from the upper portion of the wider part in hinge-d relationbelow the upper edge of the wider part, whereby the upper portion of thewider part remains flat when the guide is extended, and a springconstruction tending to separate them from each other, 2. A compressionguide comprising two parts of thin sheet material of different widths,the narrower part) proj ecting from the upper portion of the wider partin hinged relation below the upper'edge of the wider part, whereby theupper portion of the wider part remains flat when the guide is extended,and a spring construction tending to separate them from each other, andan indexing device carried by the upper edge of the wider part. I i 3. Acompression guide comprisingtwo parts of thin sheet material ofdifferent widths, the narrower part projecting from the wider part inhinged relation below the upper edge of'the wider part, whereby theupper portion of the wider part remains fiat when the guide is extended,and expana sion springs between said parts tending to separatethem fromeach other.

' 4. A compression guide comprising two parts of thin sheet material of'different widths, the narrower part projecting from the wider part inhinged relation-below the upper edge ofthe wider part, whereby the upperportion of the wider part remains flat when the guide is extended,expansion springs between said parts tending to'separate them fro meachother, and an indexing device carried by the upper edge of the parts ofthin sheet material of different widths, the narrower .part projectingfrom the wider part in hinged relation below the upper edge of the widerpart, whereby the upper portion ofthe wider part remains flat when theguide. is extended, andhelical springs secured to said parts and betweenthem tending to separate them from each other. i 6. A compression guidecomprising two parts of thin sheet material of different widths, thenarrower part-projecting from the wider part in hinged relation belowthe upper edge of the wider part, whereby the 7 upper portion of thewider part remains flat W en he guide is exte ded, and helical springssecured to said parts. and between springs having their ends secured tosaid,

parts and between them tending to separate said parts from each other.

8. A compression guide comprising two parts of thin sheet material ofdifferent widths, the narrower part projecting from the wider part inhinged relation below the upper edge of the wider part, whereby theupper portion of the wider part remains fiat when the guide is extended,and helicospiral springs having their ends secured to said parts andbetween them tending to separate said parts from each other, and anindexing device carried by the upper edge of the wider part.

9. A compression guide comprising two sheets of thin material ofdifferent widths, and devices connecting the upper edge of one sheetwith the other sheet below its upper edge to permit movement of saidsheets towards or away from each other below said connecting devices,and spring mechanism tending to separate said sheets from each other.

10. A compression guide comprising two sheets of thin material ofdifferent widths, and devices connecting the upper edge of one sheetwith the other sheet below its upper edge to permit movement of saidsheets towards or away from each other below said. connecting devices,spring mechanism tending to separate said sheets from each other, and anindexing device carried by the wider sheet.

11. A compression guide comprising two sheets of thin material ofdifferent widths, and devices connecting the upper edge of one sheetwith the other sheet below its upper edge to permit movement of saidsieets towards or away from each other below said connecting devices,and expansion springs between and secured to said sheets tending toseparate them.

12. A compression guide comprising two sheets of thin material ofdifferent widths, and devices connecting the upper edge of one sheetwith the other sheet below its upper edge to permit movement of saidsheets towards or away from each other below said connecting devices,and spiral springs secured to said sheets and between them tending toseparate them.

13. A compression guide comprising two parts of thin sheet material ofdifferent widths, the narrower part projecting from the upper portion ofthe wider pa t in hinged relation below the upper edge of the widerpart, whereby the upper portion of the wider part remains flat when theguide is extended, and a construction tend-- ing to separate them fromeach other, and tongues extending from the lower edges of said parts forengaging a retaining rod.

14. A compression guide comprising two parts of thin sheet material ofdifferent Widths, the narrower part projecting from the wider part inhinged relation below the upper edge of the wider part, whereby theupper portion of the wider part remains fiat when the guide is extended,and a spring construction tending to separate them from each other,reinforcing means carried by the upper edge of said guide, and anindexing device carired by said upper edge;

15. A compression guide comprising two sheets of-t-hin material'ofdifferent widths, and devices connecting the upper edge of one sheetwith the other sheet below'its upper edge to permit movement of saidsheets towards or away from each other below said connecting devices,and spring mechanism tending to separate said sheets from each other,reinforcing means carried by the upper edge of said guide, and anindexing device carried by said upperedge.

16. A compression guide'comprising two sheets of thin material ofdifferent widths, hinge strips of fabric secured to the upper edge ofthe narrower sheet and to the wider sheet below its upper edge, andsprings between said sheets to expand them.

17. A compression guide comprising two sheets of thin material ofdifferent widths, hinge strips of fabric secured to the upper edge ofthe narrower sheet and to the wider sheet below its upper edge, andspiral springs between said sheets and secured to them to expand thesame. v

18. A compression guide comprising two sheets of thin material ofdifferent widths, hinge strips of fabric secured to the upper edge ofthe narrower sheet and to the wider sheet below its upper edge, springsbetween said sheets to expand them, and an indexing device carried bythe wider sheet.

19. A compression guide comprising two sheets of thin material ofdifferent widths, a hinge strip of fabric secured to the upper portionof the narrower sheet and to the wider sheet below its upper edge,springs between said sheets to expand them, reinforcing means carried bythe upper edge of said guide, and an indexing device carried by saidupper edge.

20. A guide comprising two walls of sheet material having their upperportions connected together in hinged relation below the upper edge ofthe guide, and a spring construction between their outer surfacestending to hold the lower portions of said walls apart, whereby theportion of the guide above said hinge connection remains flat for allconditions of separation of the lower portions of said walls.

21. A guide comprising two walls of sheet material having their upperportions conneoted together in hinged relation below the upper edge ofthe guide, and springs carried by said walls between their outersurfaces tending to hold the lower portions of said walls apart, wherebythe portion of the guide above said hinge connection remains flat forall conditions of separation of the lower portions of said walls.

22. A guide comprising two walls of sheet material having their upperportions connected together in hinged relation below the upper edge ofthe guide, and helico-spiral springs carried by said walls between theirouter surfaces tending to hold the lower portions of said walls apart,whereby the portion of the guide above said hinge connection remainsflat for all conditions of separation of the lower portions of saidwalls.

guide between its upper edge and said hinge connection, in flatcondition at all times.

24, A guide comprising two thin members movable towards and from eachother having spring means tending to hold said mem bers in separatedrelation, a hinge connection between said members extending laterallyacross the guide below the upper edge thereof, maintaining the portionof the guide between its upperedge and said hinge connection, infiatcondition at allctimes, and an indexing device carried bysaid guide.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name his 1 th day N v mbe A.D 1920.

CHARLES ULRICH.

